You Cannot Refuse Destiny
by KitoH
Summary: Found in the midst of a battle, Jackson Overland is adopted by the Great General Kozmotis Pitchiner. 10 years later, he wishes to join Kozmotis in battle. The appearance of a strange quartet, however, introduce him to things past war. Peace, happiness, magic and love. Jackson realises, no matter how hard he tries, he simply cannot refuse destiny. (AU, JackRabbit) (T for swearing)
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, I know! I have, like, 10 stories to update. But, hear my excuse, Frosted is nearing the end, so this is kinda taking its place. I'm working on the second last chapter for Frosted now, but something is missing, don't know what, but I'll work it out.**

 **Meanwhile, enjoy the first chapter!**

* * *

 _He opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by flames. He gasped as he backed up. The flames edged ever closer._

 _Jackson heard a whoosh behind him, followed by a scorching heat. From what he could see in the corner of his eyes, more flames had erupted behind him._

 _The seven year old began to panic. What was he even doing here?_

 _He could people shouting and the sound of metal clashing with metal. A battle. Through the flickering fire, he could make out men in heavily clad armour, fighting village folk. As Jackson peered closer, he realised the villagers all had white hair. He stood on his toes, trying to see if he could spot something else._

 _Bad idea. He tripped forward and had to reel back immediately to avoid falling face first in the flames. "Help." He whispered as the flames pressed closer. They licked his skin gently, flickering brightly and coming closer._

 _The young boy barely had space. Everything around him was burning and it was getting harder to breathe. The smoke choked him, trying desperately to pull the life from him._

 _Jackson could hear victorious yells. Someone had won the battle. He didn't know who. He was too busy trying to find a way to safety._

 _"Search the village!" He heard a voice order. "Make sure no more are left!"_

 _Footsteps scattered and Jackson heard the man talking to someone else. Judging by how far their voices were, Jackson could tell they were close. As the fire came impossibly closer. This was his only chance._

 _"Someone!" He shouted, desperately. He heard the talking cease. They hadn't left? Had they? "Please, help me!"_

 _"Stay here." It was the man who had been yelling orders earlier who spoke to his companion. His heavy footsteps came towards Jackson..._

 _..Then turned away!_

 _"I'm over here!" Jackson called, shrieking as he realised the large shirt he was wearing had caught on fire._

 _"Keep shouting!" Jackson was told. But the boy couldn't make sense of it. His mind was becoming blank and fuzzy. Spots appeared in his vision and he struggled to stay on his feet._

 _He kneeled down as carefully as possible, realising he could breathe a bit easier, the closer he got to the ground. So he lay down on his stomach, breathing coming easier. That was when he called._

 _"Help! I'm down here!" He ignored the burning clothe of his oversized shirt in favour of the silhouette of a man that had appeared in front of him._

 _"Goodness!" The man gasped. He kneeled beside the boy, ignoring the fire which beat against his fireproof armour. He slapped the flames off of Jackson's shirt. The seven year old himself was ready to fully black out. "Come on, kid. Stay with me." The man picked him up, and proceeded to get him out of the burning inferno._

 _Jackson fought for consciousness as he heard his saviour talking to his companion. "He needs medical attention, now! I found him laying on the ground, calling for help."_

 _"General, was that all he was wearing?!" Jackson thought the man must be the General. He looked weakly at his clothing. The only thing he wore was the shirt, which went down to his knees._

 _"Indeed. The shirt was burning when I arrived."_

 _He was handed to the other man, who lay him down on the soft grass. He moaned at the pain which shot through his body. The man pulled shirt up so he could see his thighs. Horrible, swelling burns were revealed on his left leg. The way they twisted down his leg was horrific. The shirt was quickly pulled back down. The burn, however, went all the way down his left leg._

 _Jackson closed his eyes, not wanting to see the twisting monsters that curled on his leg. "Who are you?" He whispered, directing the question to the General._

 _"My name is General Kozmotis Pitchiner. What's your name, my boy?"_

 _Jackson frowned, his eyes still shut. He could remember his first name, but Kozmotis had told him his last name. It would be polite to tell the man his last name. '_ Overland _.' The thought blossomed in his head and it felt right._

 _"Jackson Overland." He told the General._

 _"Everything's going to be alright, Jackson. Do you know what happened to your family?"_

 _He had a family? He couldn't remember having a family. Jackson didn't think he had one. When he told this to the General, the man frowned._

 _"We'll find somewhere for you to stay. It might take a while. But we will." Kozmotis looked down at the shivering boy. He pulled his red cloak off and but it over Jackson, before picking him up. "Until then, you can stay with me."_

 _Jackson snuggled into the armour of the General, ignoring the pain that shot up his leg. "Thank you.. He whispered, feeling himself drift off._

 _He vaguely noticed people talking, but he only made sense of one sentence._

 _"..most likely be stuck with a permanent limp.."_

 _Jackson didn't mind. He could live with a limp. And anyways, he knew Kozmotis would make sure he was alright. He had no reason to fear._

 _With this thought in mind, he fell asleep, blissfully unaware of the pain._

* * *

 **10 Years Later**

* * *

He woke to a pounding on his door. "Jackson! Get up and unlock your freaking door!"

Jackson groaned. "Geez! Calm down. I'm coming!"

He stopped by the mirror and looked at his reflection. Brown tussled hair topped his head, going perfectly with the chocolate brown of his eyes. He lifted his tanned hand to muss up his hair even more before heading to the door.

He unlocked the door, being careful to take his time.

"Jackson Overland!" The deep baritone yelled on the other side. "I swear if you don't-"

He never finished his rant as Jackson swung the door open, hitting him in the face.

He pushed the door aside, growling, "You did that on purpose!"

"Of course not." Jackson gave him a gleaming smile of innocence, which was met with a snort of disbelief.

"Sure. Did you pack like I told you to?"

The older male was pleasantly surprised when the 17 year old pulled out a packed rucksack. "You think I'm stupid." Jackson whined.

"Yes. Either that or ridiculously mad."

Jackson ignored the insult as he began to bombard his older brother with questions.

"Where we going this time? What you going after? Can I come with you this time?!"

The raven haired man rolled his eyes.

"We're going to Soviet. One of my men reported a Cossack. Apparently, he snatched their entire months supply of food. And no."

"What!?" Jackson groaned. "Why?!"

"You know exactly why." Jackson was told.

"Can I get a reminder?"

The raven haired man sighed, as if he went through this often.

"Because.. as my brother, you will be targeted to use against me."

"I can handle myself!" Jackson protested as they grabbed a little bit to eat before heading outside.

"Of course you can." Was the sarcastic reply.

"C'mon, Kozzy!"

Jackson got a small slap to his head, which didn't hurt much, but he couldn't help but make a big deal out of it.

"OW! That hurt!" He faked, pretending to wipe away tears.

"Well maybe, if you called me by my proper name, then maybe, I wouldn't have to remind you like that."

Jackson pouted. "Fine! Let me come, Kozmotis! I promise I won't get in the way! I just wanna help."

Jackson clambered onto the black horse after Kozmotis, who was ready to set off.

"And you'll be helping by staying inside the camp with my men."

"Your men are boring. They never even talk to me." Jackson started as Kozmotis gently kicked to horse, prompting it to trot.

"They aren't there to amuse you." Kozmotis reminded him. "They're there to protect you."

Jackson sighed dejectedly before reaching into the saddlebag and pulling out a piece of wood and a whittling knife.

The wood was chipped, signifying previous progress. As Jackson whittled in a depressed silence, he noticed a rustling coming from the woods. He looked up at Kozmotis, who either didn't notice or was ignoring it. Jackson decided it was the former. His brother would never ignore movement coming from the shadows. Being constantly on the hunt for dangerous creatures didn't allow for ignorance.

Jackson peered more closely, realising that the rustling had stopped.

The boy shrugged it off, continuing whittling the half-made flute.

"So, Soviet?" Kozmotis nodded. "North or South?"

"North. And before you ask, no. Nothing you say will change my mind."

Jackson groaned. "Come on! I'm not a seven year old anymore!"

"What part of 'no' don't you understand?"

"The 'no' part."

They continued to bicker, the suspicious movement in the wood, forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two things for all ROTG fanatics!**

 **1) I was scrolling through the internet and found, get this, a wikihow page for becoming a ROTG fan... I'm dead serious.**

 **2) William Joyde, the creator of the Guardians of Childhood series (which the film is loosely based on), said a little while back, after he released the last book of the series, that Dreamworks was considering making a ROTG series!**

 **Enough of me geeking out.**

 **Guest Reviews:**

 **Sofie Rose: I know what you mean, but don't worry! It's gonna be the cute cuddle and fluff you and I enjoy!**

 **FanofFun: I read over it and I groaned at how bad I thought it was. But glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jackson yawned as he put his whittling stuff away.

"You tired?" Kozmotis chuckled as they neared the town.

Jackson pulled his poncho around him like a blanket, before he leaned against Kozmotis and hummed in affirmative. They had been travelling since they left the capital city of Luminescence, that morning. They were currently heading towards a small town in Crystallum, and when Jackson realised this, a spark of recognition flew through his head.

* * *

" _Help." He whispered as the flames pressed closer. They licked his skin gently, flickering brightly and coming closer._

 _The young boy barely had space. Everything around him was burning and it was getting harder_ _to breathe. The smoke choked him, trying desperately to pull the life from him._

* * *

"Koz?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you...do you think we can quickly go to Burgess?" Jackson felt Kozmotis stiffen in front of him. He lay on the man's back, after all. "We're passing by it on our way to Soviet, anyway."

"Why do you want to go there?" Kozmotis asked a slightly bitter note in his voice. "You know that it is already dangerous enough for us to stay the night in Crystallum. There is most likely Winter Fae still hiding around that area."

"How'd you know that?"

"Snowstorms have been evoking all around. There was one in Bharata the other day. It's only possible if Winter Fae are still around. It's too dangerous and you have no reason to go there."

Jack frowned, upset. It wasn't unusual for Kozmotis to refuse to let him have his way, but he thought the General would be lenient.

"I just thought, 'cuz my 18th birthday's coming up. I just want answers..."

Kozmotis turned to look at Jackson for a moment, noticing the boy almost limp against him. A small frown adorned his face. Turning his attention back to the road ahead, he sighed and asked, "This is really important to you, isn't it?"

He felt Jackson nod. He sighed, again.

"We're almost at the tavern. If we get there in good time, I will see if Edward can escort you."

He made a noise of surprise when long, lanky arms wrapped around his waist. "Thanks, Kozzy."

"That's not my name," Kozmotis mumbled, unable to gather the will to reprimand the boy properly.

* * *

Another half an hour later, they arrived outside the tavern.

"We'll grab some food before we look for Edward." Kozmotis as they dismounted the horse.

Jackson's stomach growled loudly at the mention of food and they both laughed as they entered.

Jackson sat down at one of the tables, reading a book he had brought with him.

Someone pulled out a chair in front of him. For a moment he thought Kozmotis had come back, but the ladylike voice that spoke indicated otherwise.

"Why, hello! What's a handsome young man like yourself doing all alone?"

"I'm not alone." Jackson said, looking up to see a blond woman.

The woman looked around as if searching for someone. "I can't see anyone with you." She purred, reaching across the table to gently stroke his arm. He quickly pulled back, uncomfortable. That didn't faze the stranger. "And even if there is someone with you, I'm sure they won't miss you for a few minutes. I don't live far from here. We'd be quick. Like we never even left. No one would know."

"Well, now I know." Jackson turned around and sighed in relief when he saw a familiar face.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Breathed Jack, snorting at the woman's confused expression.

"Who are you?" The woman asked, a bratty tone to her voice.

"His boyfriend." The man put his arm around Jackson, who visibly relaxed.

"I don't believe you!" The blond woman stated, staring at the green-eyed man behind Jackson.

Jackson felt himself roll his eyes before getting up and slamming his lips into the green-eyed man's.

After a moment, he pulled away. "That enough proof?" Jackson asked sarcastically. "Or do you need more, because we'd be happy to prove it."

The woman opened her annoying (Jackson thought it was annoying, anyway) mouth to speak when someone else spoke.

"What's going on?" She turned around and squeaked when she saw Kozmotis, her smooth charisma, vanishing.

"General Pitchiner! What a surprise!"

Kozmotis ignored her. "What happened, Jackson?"

"She was getting a little too close for comfort." Jackson said, crossing his arms unhappily.

Kozmotis glared at the woman. "You have 30 seconds to leave my sight!"

She yelped as she ducked behind a crowd that was leaving.

Kozmotis turned to the other two with a glare. "And you two."

Jackson gulped as he looked up at his fellow brunette.

"Jackson! What have I hold you about making out with my General Lieutenant when this happens?"

"Edward doesn't mind." Quipped Jackson, cheekily. He looked up at Edward who had a frown on his face.

"Kozmotis is right, Jackson. If someone were to realise you were close to the General and his second-in-command, it would effectively double the chance of someone taking advantage of it."

Jackson sighed. "None of this would be a problem if you guys trained me to fight. I can't even defend myself, let alone fight with you in battles. If you trained me, then if something were to happen, I could look after myself. Then me and Edward wouldn't be a problem."

While Jackson had been addressing both of the men, Edward could tell it was mainly directed at Kozmotis.

"Tibbar!" Edward glanced toward the other men of the army, who were beckoning him to join them.

Kozmotis looked at him.

"You can go, Edward. Let me talk to Jackson alone."

Edward left, leaving a miserable Jackson with an exasperated Kozmotis.

Jackson slumped into his chair, his arms crossed and a look of dissatisfaction adorning his expression. "It was your idea," The teen grumbled.

"What!? I've never said that!"

Jackson looked up, his chocolate coloured eyes expressing boredom with a cheeky glint hidden behind it. "Last year, when this stuff started, you said, and I quote, 'If you don't like ladies hitting on you, you might as well kiss Edward Tibbar.'"

"I was being sarcastic."

"But it works."

"Jackson!"

Kozmotis slumped into his own chair and stared at Jackson intently. "If you won't stop with a simple warning, then next time this happens, I will leave you at the orphanage in Luminescence."

The expression on Jackson's face was pure outrage! "What!?"

Before he could retaliate, a thunderous crash was heard just outside.

The blond haired woman, who had been harassing Jackson before, burst through the door, terror making her body tremble. "HE'S HERE!"

The tavern owner came forward from behind the bar. "Who?!" He asked.

"PITCH BLACK!" She shrieked, causing a flurry of frantic citizens. The tavern owner tried to restore quiet but no one would listen.

Kozmotis ran to the front and came to a halt next to the white-bearded man. "What's your name, Sir?" Kozmotis asked him over the commotion.

"Thomas."

Kozmotis nodded and stood on the bar top.

"SILENCE!" He yelled, effectively shutting everyone up. "There's no time to panic. Follow Thomas out of the emergency exit." The General turned to his men. "Edward! You, Jackson and Thomas help get everyone out of here! The rest of you, follow me!" He leapt outside, followed by his army, pulling out his ever trusty scythe.

Edward took charge. "Come on, people! Women and children first! Thomas! Lead 'em out! Jackson! Help me get the more drunk people!"

"Got it!" The teen began pulling intoxicated men, two at a time. He scowled under their weight but didn't slow down. He wanted to help, and if it meant pulling drunk men away from danger instead of fighting Fearlings, then so be it.

Just as he took the last people through the exit, the main door crashed open!

A Fearling.

Jackson had never seen one before. He was normally escaping with the citizens by now.

It was beautiful in a haunting way. Its resemblance was that of a horse, except more demonic. It's midnight black coat glistened in silvers and purples. It's mane stuck up like it had been struck with lightning.

He stared at the being, in fascination and simultaneous fear, his chocolate eyes locking his the amber eyes of the Fearling. Jackson shook his head, pulling himself out of the trance. The Fearling snorted, turning to a pile of rubble that had fallen when it had burst in.

That was when Jackson noticed a young woman stuck under the rubble. She couldn't have been much older than he was. She struggled under the wreckage as the Fearling came towards her ominously.

Jackson reacted immediately.

He grabbed a stone, that had fallen by his foot, and threw it at the demon horse with surprisingly good aim.

The boy couldn't help the small smirk that slipped onto his features. All the master pranks he had pulled on Kozmotis had paid off.

The horse disintegrated like it was made of sand. Jackson didn't stop to ponder this, quickly running to the young woman and pushing the rubble off of her.

"Ow." Jackson saw her ankle was swollen. Shouting came from outside, and without a moment's hesitation, Jackson picked her up before running towards the exit Thomas and Edward had taken the rest of the common folk.

Before they entered it, Edward burst through, panicked.

"Jackson? What happened?"

"I was helping the more drunk people when a Fearling knocked this woman into a wall." The boy gestured towards the wall in question, which still stood, but was slowly crumbling. "The rubble fell onto her. I threw a stone at the Fearling and got her out. She's injured and can't run."

Edward nodded, hardly fazed by the rapid information. "We've gotta get outta here!" He took the woman from Jackson and grabbed the teen's hand.

They were about to escape when two figures tumbled through the door.

Jackson and Edward immediately recognised Kozmotis. His face gleamed with sweat and his usually pristinely kept hair flopped. His silver eyes sparkled each time he swung his trusty scythe with deadly precision, but his opponent was just as quick.

His opponent wore a black cloak, which seemed to meld and become a part of the shadows. While he tried to stab Kozmotis with the deadly black sword he wielded, he looked to the party of three, who stood paralysed in the exit. He bore his teeth menacingly, his unnatural golden eyes glimmering at the sight of them.

"Pitch Black." Jackson muttered. Kozmotis heard him and looked in their direction.

"Edward! Get them out of here!"

Edward nodded and while holding the young woman in one arm dragged the teen after him.

Jackson spotted the rest of the citizens running towards the local safe house. He chanced a look behind and yelped when he saw a swarm of Fearlings coming for him.

"Edward!" Jack said waveringly. His green-eyed friend looked back and seemed to run even faster. Jackson struggled to keep on his feet, unaccustomed to running so fast.

The closest Fearling snapped at Jackson's foot, which he barely managed to move out of the way. Edward only ran faster when he heard the teen exclaim. The citizens were now piling into the safehouse even faster, at the sight of the approaching monsters.

"We're not gonna make it, Edward!" Jackson cried, tears running down his face in fear.

"Don't worry, Jax." Edward reassured him, using the nickname he had bestowed upon Jackson years ago, now moving quicker than ever before. He squeezed the boy's hand. "Don't give up hope."

Jackson quickly rubbed the tears away before he started to sprint alongside his friend.

The woman in Edward's arm cried out, "Hurry!"

This time, Jackson didn't look back, focusing on getting to safety.

He could feel the creatures getting closer, the shadows licking his heel. Judging from the panicked look the citizens in the safe house were giving them, they were dangerously near.

"Almost there!" Jackson put on a burst of speed at Edward's words. He yanked Edward, and consequently the woman he was holding, through the door, before running in himself and slamming it closed and locking it.

His back was against the door when the Fearling bashed into the door.

He fell to the floor at the force.

Everyone looked down at him worriedly. After a moment, he looked up, grinning.

"Just in time," he said through heavy gasps for breath.


	3. Chapter 3

**Guest Reviews:**

 **sparklehannah: Yeah, that's sound like Jack. Haven't seen you in a while! Good to have you back!**

 **Not much to say other than enjoy! :D**

* * *

They were in the safe house for several hours. The few soldiers there were instructed to check all of the commoners were alright, and to take any injured people to the first aid room on the other side.

Edward decided to tend to the young woman himself, staying about a metre away from Jackson, who hadn't moved from his position in front of the door.

"There you go." Edward announced, tying off the edge of the bandage. "Try not to move your ankle too much."

She thanked him and the duo looked toward Jackson.

"Jax? What's wrong?"

"Huh?!" Jackson, who had been staring off into space, snapped back into reality. "Oh...uh...nothing."

He yelped when Edward grabbed his arm and pulled him the metre towards the injured woman. When he received an angered glare he simply told him, "Your hand is bleeding."

Jackson looked down and saw, indeed, blood was leaking from his hand. It must have been from throwing the stone at the Nightmare.

He felt his mind wander again, once again reimagining the encounter with the Nightmare.

* * *

 _A Fearling._

 _Jackson had never seen one before. He was normally escaping with the citizens by now._

 _It was beautiful in a haunting way. Its resemblance was that of a horse, except more demonic. It's midnight black coat glistened in silvers and purples. It's mane stuck up like it had been struck with lightning._

 _He stared at the being, in fascination and simultaneous fear, his chocolate eyes locking his the amber eyes of the Fearling. Jackson shook his head, pulling himself out of the trance. The Fearling snorted, turning to a pile of rubble that had fallen when it had burst in._

* * *

He sighed, looking down just as Edward administered an antibiotic cream on his hand. None of the trio spoke as a small bandage was wrapped around the wound to stop the blood flow. Once the job was complete, Jackson flexed his hand and the woman decided to speak up.

"Thank you so much." She said. Jackson looked up at her. She was quite pretty with light brown hair reaching just past her shoulder. Her skin was tanned similarly to his and she had a petite figure. Her eyes were a light grey and they sparkled in the little light that the torches scattered around were giving. If he was attracted to females, he would have definitely been attracted to her.

"It was no problem." He replied modestly.

She shook her head and grabbed his hands. "Yes, it was! It could have killed you! I owe you my life." Happy tears fell down her face.

"Just doing my job." He muttered, rubbing circles on her knuckles with his thumb. A calming gesture Edward usually did to him.

"Except it wasn't your job!"

Jackson's head snapped up and he felt fury bubble in him.

"Can you not hear her? She almost died! If I didn't do something, it would've killed her!"

"I _was_ listening to her! And even _she_ admitted you could have gotten yourself killed! What would I have told Kozmotis!?"

He was standing now and so was Edward. They were drawing attention from others but neither of them cared.

"You could have told him the _truth_! That I tried to do some _good_! That I tried to save someone's _life_! That I died because neither of you will let me learn to _defend_ myself!"

"We're trying to protect you!"

"MAYBE YOU'RE TRYING WRONG! MAYBE I'M MORE AT RISK BECAUSE OF YOUR CHOICES! AND MAYBE YOU'RE TOO SELFISH TO REALISE THAT!"

The woman now stood, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder, trying desperately to get him to calm down. People shuffled away, uncomfortable at witnessing something that was obviously private and had obviously been brewing for quite a while now.

"I'm being selfish!?" Edward narrowed his eyes.

"Yes." Jack whispered harshly. "If you loved me, you'd listen and at least consider what I want."

"Are you saying that I don't love you?" The anger in Edward's green eyes disappeared in seconds but the cold fury remained in Jack's.

"Probably, considering at the moment, _I fucking hate you_!"

Jackson stormed off, leaving a deepening silence in his wake.

After a moment, Edward turned to the woman. "I-I have to go. Keep an eye on him, please."

She nodded and watched him leave to find the rest of the soldiers. And to tell Kozmotis about what had happened.

She sighed and made her way to Jackson who was curled up against the wall.

"Sorry you had to see that." He mumbled, not bothering to look up. His chocolate eyes were glassy but no tears fell.

"How long have you been keeping that bottled up?"

"Years."

"Then, no wonder you exploded."

Jackson heaved a sigh. "I just dunno what to do. They never listen. Whenever I find something I love, they stop me. So I guess the solution is to not love again."

"But is living a bitter life worth it?"

Jackson groaned. "Urgh! I'm so confused!"

The woman rubbed his back in a soothing manner. "Talk to them. If they love you, they'll at least listen and find a compromise."

"Not them." Jackson grumbled. "But, thank you. I'll give it a try."

"That's all I ask."

Jackson suddenly looked up. "I'm sorry but I've just realised I don't know your name!"

She laughed. "I'm Alyxia. And your name is...?"

"Jackson. You can call me Jack."

They talked, the conversation turning to their homes.

"I live in Bharata." Alyxia told him. "On the Eastern border, near Crystallum."

Jack pursed his lips. "Did there happen to be a snowstorm there last week?"

"Yes. In fact, that's why I'm here. I'm heading to Soviet to meet with some friends who can help."

Jack was going to ask where they were, exactly, when the door burst open and Kozmotis, followed by Edward and the rest of the soldiers hurried in.

Kozmotis looked around and his eyes quickly landed on his little brother. He wasted to time running over and scooping the younger boy up.

"Jackson! Are you alright!? Edward told me what happened! You're not hurt are you?!"

Jack laughed. "Calm down!"

But Kozmotis didn't listen. "That was so dangerous! I can't believe you did it! What were you thinking?!"

"Excuse me?" The General stopped his panicking in favour of looking over at Alyxia. "Your brother saved my life. I was being chased by one of the Fearlings and got stuck under some rubble. If it weren't for Jack, I'd be dead."

Kozmotis turned back to Jack. "Is this true?"

"Yes, and I need to talk to talk to you and Edward."

"Later. Go to sleep and in the morning you'll be going back to Luminescence."

Jackson stared at him. "What?"

"Well, it's obvious that you'll get hurt even more if you come to Soviet and I can't risk losing you. So two of my soldiers will be escorting you back to the palace until I return."

The boy could only gape before he turned on his heel to one of the safe hose beds in the far corner, next to a window. He could feel silver eyes trained on his back as he closed his eyes and evened out his breath, falling asleep.

* * *

A few hours later, when it was dark and all the citizens in the safe house had gone to sleep, he felt mattress weight shift as someone sat next to him, on the side of the bed. He pretended to still be asleep as Kozmotis' calloused hands carded Jack's brown locks.

"Jackson?" Kozmotis whispered. He didn't answer, focusing on making it seem like he was still asleep. "Jack?" Said boy felt his breath hitch; it was rare for the General to call him by his shortened name. "I know you're awake, Jack." Kozmotis sighed at the lack of an answer. "I spoke to Alyxia earlier. She told me that you wanted to talk about letting you learn to fight. But this isn't your battle. It's my job to protect you. Pitch Black is only one of the threats. Magic wielders are abundant. You'd have no chance against them."

Jack felt anger flare in him. He readied himself to speak when he heard sobs.

"I can't lose you, Jack. I'd rather you be angry than dead. I'm so sorry."

As quickly as the anger rose, it disappeared. Kozmotis sighed once more, before getting up and leaving the safe house: presumably to keep an eye out for Pitch Black or his Fearlings in the village.

Once Jack was sure he was gone, he got up and grabbed his poncho from the end of the bed. Making sure no one was awake and watching, he opened the window he had been sleeping by and clambered through. He closed the window just enough so the cold wouldn't get in, and he could sneak back in.

He knew where he was. It was only a one and a half hour journey to the location he had in mind. He wouldn't be gone long.

"If I'm going back to Crystallum, I'm going to Burgess first, whether Koz or Edward like it or not."

Jackson set off in hopes of finding answers. He didn't notice the golden eyes that intently watched the path he took.


End file.
